I want to share a scenario with you. If you've been struggling to lose weight, then you will definitely be able to relate in some way.

 

~

 

[10:30 PM, Thursday Night]

 

You hop in the shower before heading to bed.

 

As you step out of the tub to dry off, you catch a quick glimpse of yourself in the mirror…

 

“Is that really me?”

 

It's the first time you've taken a moment to stop and look at yourself in a while, and you don't like what you see.

 

"When did I get those handles on my hips!?"

 

You cautiously step on the scale, a three digit number flashes across the digital display, and you can hardly believe what you see.

 

You knew that you had gained some weight, but never thought you would see "that" number.

 

"That does it. Diet starts Monday."

 

You have one last “hoorah” Friday night (B&J’s Chunky Monkey was calling), and you get everything ready for the coming week.

 

You set up your plan and do all your grocery and workout clothes shopping beforehand, so you have no excuses.

 

Before going to bed on Sunday, you do one last scroll through Instagram #fitsporation photos to hype yourself up.

 

For the first few weeks, everything goes great. You drop a few pounds, have a ton of energy, and there doesn’t seem to be anything that can stop you.

 

Then week 3 happens.

 

You are feeling a little hungrier than usual…

 

The Stairmaster doesn’t seem as inviting as it once did…

 

And it’s getting harder and harder to pretend that your homemade chocolate chip protein bars, quote:

 

"Taste just as good as the real thing!!"

 

(Uhm, no they don't.)

 

~

 

Everyone who has dieted knows this scenario all too well.

 

You start out motivated to lose weight only to lose most or all of your original drive a few weeks into dieting.

 

No one doubts the importance of motivation. Without it, you’d never have the external and internal drive to accomplish your goals.

 

The truth, though, is that motivation is fleeting.

 

You can't always rely on it to keep you on the path towards your weight loss goals - especially when you're stressed, tired, or fighting the urge to dive headfirst into that homemade tub of trail mix that your aunt made for you…

 

“She knew I was on a diet!”

 

But there's good news!

 

There is a way for you to stay committed to your goals, even when your motivation is running low.

 

It’s called Accountability.

 

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What is Accountability, Exactly?

 

You probably have an idea of what accountability is, but here’s a refresher for you:

 

“Accountability is the acknowledgment of responsibility for your actions with the obligation to report, explain, and be responsible for the resulting consequences.”

 

Essentially, accountability keeps you consistent by having you report back to someone what you’re successfully–or unsuccessfully–doing with your diet and exercise regimen.

 

What makes accountability so powerful is that it doesn't matter how little motivation you may have to do something.

 

If you know that there is someone, or multiple someones, expecting you to report back to them, you’ll get it done.

 

At its core, accountability creates consistency, and if you aren't consistent, you'll never reach your goals of losing fat and building a lean, healthy body.

 

So, the next logical question is this:

 

How can we create accountability for better consistency towards achieving our weight loss goals?

 

Here are three strategies that you can start implementing immediately, so you can start seeing results as quickly as possible.

 

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Strategy #1 - Create A Group or Challenge

 

Support groups are a fantastic way to create accountability.

 

They reason they work so well is that they surround you with people who have similar goals and desires.

 

What's more is that support groups can serve as an outlet to express concerns or issues you may run into during your journey.

 

"I overate on that freakin' Trail Mix last night, what do I do?"

 

"I haven't lost weight on the scale, but I feel that my progress photos say otherwise? What do you all think?"

 

They don't have to be in-person groups either; you can form support groups virtually as well.

 

Facebook groups and forums can provide most if not all of the accountability benefits of an in-person support group.

 

~

 

Another great way to find accountability is through competition.

 

For example, you could create a "step" challenge within your support circle to see who can get the most steps in a week.

 

Or you could see who can go the longest without missing a workout.

 

Notice, though,  that those challenges aren't about who can lose the most body fat, lift the most weight, etc.

 

Rather, they are about doing things.

 

You don't have complete control over the results that you get. However, you do have control over how you go about DOING things to achieve certain results.

 

You may not be able to control how many pounds you lose per week, but you can control how many steps you do in a week, or how many workouts you accomplish in a row without skipping.

 

Strategy #2 - Start Small

 

We have the tendency to overpromise and underdeliver when it comes to our personal goals.

 

The problem with doing this is that we set ourselves up for failure by trying to change too many things (habits) at once, which can only lead to disappointment.

 

When you try to create too many habits at once (i.e. eliminate sugar, workout every day, etc.), you drastically reduce your chances of sticking to new healthy habits and changes.